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Before any guests were admitted, the body had been taken from the coffin, completely wrapped in a white sheet and laid upon an iron crate which stood on wooden trestles in the centre  of the reception-room, according to the old Greek and Roman custom. It was injected and surrounded with cinnamon, cassia, frankincence and myrrh. About 8.30 o’clock Colonel Olcott approached and saturated the sheet which swathed it with a solution of alum, designed to prevent the instant withering of the sheet and consequent exposure of the remains before the furnace could be closed.

Before any guests were admitted, the body had been taken from the coffin, completely wrapped in a white sheet and laid upon an iron crate which stood on wooden trestles in the centre  of the reception-room, according to the old Greek and Roman custom. It was injected and surrounded with cinnamon, cassia, frankincence and myrrh. About 8.30 o’clock Colonel Olcott approached and saturated the sheet which swathed it with a solution of alum, designed to prevent the instant withering of the sheet and consequent exposure of the remains before the furnace could be closed.

Having done this, he and Mr. Newton, his fellow-executor, spread upon the sheet a quantity of roses, primroses, arbutus, smilax, palms and evergreens, as typical of immortality.

{{Style S-HPB SB. HPB highlighted|Having done this, he and Mr. Newton, his fellow-executor, spread upon the sheet a quantity of roses, primroses, arbutus, smilax, palms and evergreens, as typical of immortality.}}

Wille these gentlemen performed their office some forty other persons were in the room. Among them were Dr. Folsom, Health Officer of Boston ; Dr. W. J. Arsdale, Secretary of the Board of Health of Pittsburg ; Dr. Ottarson, President of the Board of Health of Brooklin ; Dr. Geo. P. Hayes, President of Washington and Jefferson College here ; Dr. Jas. King, of Pittsburg ; Drs Johnson and McCord, also of Pittsburg ; Dr. Huff, of Wheeling, W. Va.; Dr. Jno. {{Style S-Lost|A.}} Wells, of Massachusets ; Dr Clemmer, of Brownsville, Vt. ; Mr. Harding, of Washington, and Drs Ulrich and Olcott, of Wheeling. Newspaper reporters were present from various parts of the country, and even from France and Germany. The ''Bien Public'', of Paris, and the Nurenberg ''Anziegers Bainern ''were represented. Jests were frequent and free and easy manners were liberally indulged in. Everybody kept his hat on, and for all the ceremony that was observed by any except the late Baron’s executors, one might have supposed that the company had been assembled to have a good time over roast pig. One reporter surreptitiously lifted the sheet and took a hasty note of the appearance of the “things” underneath it. Anothe coolly used the face cover as a temporary desk for his note-book, on which he scrawled some memoranda of the appearance of the Baron’s face. Altogether the levity inside and the worse levity of the crowd outside the building were in keeping with the generally prosaic character of the performance.

{{Style S-HPB SB. HPB highlighted|Wille these gentlemen performed their office some forty other persons were in the room. Among them were Dr. Folsom, Health Officer of Boston ; Dr. W. J. Arsdale, Secretary of the Board of Health of Pittsburg ; Dr. Ottarson, President of the Board of Health of Brooklin ; Dr. Geo. P. Hayes, President of Washington and Jefferson College here ; Dr. Jas. King, of Pittsburg ; Drs Johnson and McCord, also of Pittsburg ; Dr. Huff, of Wheeling, W. Va.; Dr. Jno. {{Style S-Lost|A.}} Wells, of Massachusets ; Dr Clemmer, of Brownsville, Vt. ; Mr. Harding, of Washington, and Drs Ulrich and Olcott, of Wheeling. Newspaper reporters were present from various parts of the country, and even from France and Germany. The ''Bien Public'', of Paris, and the Nurenberg ''Anziegers Bainern ''were represented. Jests were frequent and free and easy manners were liberally indulged in. Everybody kept his hat on, and for all the ceremony that was observed by any except the late Baron’s executors, one might have supposed that the company had been assembled to have a good time over roast pig. One reporter surreptitiously lifted the sheet and took a hasty note of the appearance of the “things” underneath it. Anothe coolly used the face cover as a temporary desk for his note-book,}} on which he scrawled some memoranda of the appearance of the Baron’s face. Altogether the levity inside and the worse levity of the crowd outside the building were in keeping with the generally prosaic character of the performance.

Finally the furnace-room was cleared. The door of the long oven was thrown wide, and the throng in the reception-room was compelled to divide between the corpse and the intervening doorway. The bearers, Colonel Olcott and Mr. Newton at the head, and Drs. Le Moyne and Arsdale at the feet, removed their hats but retained their overcoats, and this example was followed by several other gentlemen. They took the crate and bore it slowly into the furnace-room, and without ceremony or ado shoved it and the shrouded shape lying upon it headforemost into the red-hot oven. As it went in, a sprig of palm upon the forehead burst into a plume of flame. As it went in, however, I went out, and I am indebted to a more dutiful observer through the peep-hole of the oven for the following veracious account of what occurred during the next few hours :

Finally the furnace-room was cleared. The door of the long oven was thrown wide, and the throng in the reception-room was compelled to divide between the corpse and the intervening doorway. The bearers, Colonel Olcott and Mr. Newton at the head, and Drs. Le Moyne and Arsdale at the feet, removed their hats but retained their overcoats, and this example was followed by several other gentlemen. They took the crate and bore it slowly into the furnace-room, and without ceremony or ado shoved it and the shrouded shape lying upon it headforemost into the red-hot oven. As it went in, a sprig of palm upon the forehead burst into a plume of flame. As it went in, however, I went out, and I am indebted to a more dutiful observer through the peep-hole of the oven for the following veracious account of what occurred during the next few hours :

At 8.45, soon arter the oven door was closed, the vapors cleared away, and the body, with the saturated sheet corvering it and not consumed, was plainly visable against a background of red fire. Every sprig of evergreen and the form of every flower was visible, though all had been instantaneously reduced to ashes. At 9.15, that part of the sheet at the head which had not been saturated with alum stood up clawed, black and ragged, but still acted as a veil, concealing the features. A starting appearance was observed of the left hand rised with three fingers pointing upward. At 9.25, it having been suggested that there was no enough oxygen admitted into the retort, Dr. Ottarson tested the draught through the peep-hole. He found it ample. The arm had fallen across and colored light surrounded the remains. The vent delivered forth what by some was described as a slightly aromatic and by others a peculiarly disagreeable odor. At 10.25 the body was wholly incaudescent. The ashes of the shroud dropping from before the feet showed them to be semi-transparent, as one’s hand looks when held up before a lamp. The iron crate was by this time red hot. The blower was puffing at the furnace, and it was apparent that the late Baron was decidedly overdone. At 10.40 Dr. Le. Moyne, the three Health officers, Mr. Harding and Colonel Olcott went into the furnace-room, closed the door and held a consultation. All agreed that the cremation was practically completed. Indeed Mr. Dye, the builder of the furnace, said the body was better cremated than the sheep had been. Still they decided to keep the fire blazing at full heat for another hour. At 11.12 Dr. Folsom, having partially cooked his eye-ball at the peep-hole, announced that the cremation was accomplished beyond question. The pelvis, which had bitherti kept its shape, had now fallen and nothing remained but a confused mass of ashes in the buttom of the retort, over wich was spread the ashes of the shroud ; but above the shroud the ashes of the twigs of evergreen still remained in air, and enthusiastic cremationists accepted this fact as a bright omen. It was afternoon when the fires were drawn from the furnace and the whole oven left to cool. The Hindoo urn which was placed above the brick-work awaits the ashes, which will be removed to-morrow when the retort has time to cool.

At 8.45, soon arter the oven door was closed, the vapors cleared away, and the body, with the saturated sheet corvering it and not consumed, was plainly visable against a background of red fire. Every sprig of evergreen and the form of every flower was visible, though all had been instantaneously reduced to ashes. At 9.15, that part of the sheet at the head which had not been saturated with alum stood up clawed, black and ragged, but still acted as a veil, {{Style S-HPB SB. HPB highlighted|concealing the features. A starting appearance was observed of the left hand rised with three fingers pointing upward. At 9.25, it having been suggested that there was no enough oxygen admitted into the retort, Dr. Ottarson tested the draught through the peep-hole. He found it ample. The arm had fallen across and colored light surrounded the remains. The vent delivered forth what by some was described as a slightly aromatic and by others a peculiarly disagreeable odor. At 10.25 the body was wholly incaudescent. The ashes}} of the shroud dropping from before the feet showed them to be semi-transparent, as one’s hand looks when held up before a lamp. The iron crate was by this time red hot. The blower was puffing at the furnace, and it was apparent that the late Baron was decidedly overdone. At 10.40 Dr. Le. Moyne, the three Health officers, Mr. Harding and Colonel Olcott went into the furnace-room, closed the door and held a consultation. All agreed that the cremation was practically completed. Indeed Mr. Dye, the builder of the furnace, said the body was better cremated than the sheep had been. Still they decided to keep the fire blazing at full heat for another hour. At 11.12 Dr. Folsom, having partially cooked his eye-ball at the peep-hole, announced that the cremation was accomplished beyond question. The pelvis, which had bitherti kept its shape, had now fallen and nothing remained but a confused mass of ashes in the buttom of the retort, over wich was spread the ashes of the shroud ; but above the shroud the ashes of the twigs of evergreen still remained in air, and enthusiastic cremationists accepted this fact as a bright omen. It was afternoon when the fires were drawn from the furnace and the whole oven left to cool. The Hindoo urn which was placed above the brick-work awaits the ashes, which will be removed to-morrow when the retort has time to cool.

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